Community Reviews

Okay...I gave it a 5 star. Not many of those on my list, but I gave Relic a 4 and the only way to up that was a 5. I'm a little surprised at myself for the rating. This is a very good read and I have it on my shelf. I obtained it after listening to the audio (in a vehicle). I only do that if I figure I'll possibly reread at some point.

The atmosphere in this book combined with the imaginative story line is, if not great, just short of it. These books seem to have a largely female readership... NoOkay...I gave it a 5 star. Not many of those on my list, but I gave Relic a 4 and the only way to up that was a 5. I'm a little surprised at myself for the rating. This is a very good read and I have it on my shelf. I obtained it after listening to the audio (in a vehicle). I only do that if I figure I'll possibly reread at some point.

The atmosphere in this book combined with the imaginative story line is, if not great, just short of it. These books seem to have a largely female readership... No reason for that guys. They're well done and this one is (in my mind) the best so far. They're not mystery genre but border on several genres from there to paranormal...possibly edging into urban fantasy. Good books, really. I recommend this one especially very highly.

Where the Pendergast character has at times verged on the absurd (not badly so, he's almost always readable) here I think Preston/Child hit their stride with the character. While the story edges along the border of horror and touches other story lines you may have seen elsewhere still, within it's own reality things hold together well. ...more

Mike (the Paladin)My wife always liked audio books and I'd often listen to them after she did, in my work vehicle etc. The last two years of her life she wasn't able toMy wife always liked audio books and I'd often listen to them after she did, in my work vehicle etc. The last two years of her life she wasn't able to read print books. I was always running down audios. I got them from the library and bought them new and used. She really loved Relic and liked Reliquary. I listened to those to, but this one took a step above those two. It's a lot more complete and interesting.

Sadly my wife passed two years ago and of course she didn't get to finish the Pendergast series. Of course I suppose it's quite likely that where she is the future is also the present and she has probably read all of them, even the ones not published yet....more
Sep 01, 2011 12:06PM

Pauline I'm glad you are liking the Pendergast series. Cabinet of Curiosities is one of the best in bunch.
Sep 01, 2011 12:13PM

Sadly, I've now read all of the Pendergast novels, at least until the new one comes out this summer. Fortunately, I seem to have inadvertantly saved the best for last! Cabinet of Curiosities is definitely my favorite of all of them. At a construction site in New York City, workers unearth more than thirty skeletons, evidence of a serial killer operating more than 100 years ago. Soon afterward, a chilling series of copycat murders are perpetrated by a killer dubbed The Surgeon by the press. AgentSadly, I've now read all of the Pendergast novels, at least until the new one comes out this summer. Fortunately, I seem to have inadvertantly saved the best for last! Cabinet of Curiosities is definitely my favorite of all of them. At a construction site in New York City, workers unearth more than thirty skeletons, evidence of a serial killer operating more than 100 years ago. Soon afterward, a chilling series of copycat murders are perpetrated by a killer dubbed The Surgeon by the press. Agent Pendergast believes that there is a connection; in fact, he thinks the killings are the work of one man operating for more than a century...

This definitely kept my adrenaline going; I read it during my commute, and I kept having to put it down at seriously crucial moments, which led to me chomping at the bit to finish work so I could find out what happened next. It's totally the literary equivalent of a good scary movie -- you find yourself mentally shouting, "No! Don't go in there!" at the characters. Fantastic stuff!...more

After a horrible discovery of a XIX century churnel house made by construction workers, people start dying. The manner of these recent deaths is the same as the old murders, so the press gave the killer a name - The Surgeon. Considering how weird all this is, it is no wonder Pendergast gets involved. There is a lot of him in this book.

I have a feeling this book tried to cram as much as incompetent and corrupt people as it it possible. It certainly wins the prize so far. The first two had their oAfter a horrible discovery of a XIX century churnel house made by construction workers, people start dying. The manner of these recent deaths is the same as the old murders, so the press gave the killer a name - The Surgeon. Considering how weird all this is, it is no wonder Pendergast gets involved. There is a lot of him in this book.

I have a feeling this book tried to cram as much as incompetent and corrupt people as it it possible. It certainly wins the prize so far. The first two had their own bureaucrats and jerks, but here it is a whole new level of ass-kissing, ruining other people or harassing normal ones. I am not satisfied how that played out. I cannot write more about it or I'll ruin the part of the story.

I don't have to write about how I love Pendergast either. If he was a bit of omniscient before, here he gets another, more human layer to his personality. We are allowed to see just how much human he is. His part in all this was great, albeit still insufficient for me to be satisfied. Still, the manner we get more, but still not enough, information about him is a good way to keep readers interested.

Of the three people involved in previous cases, only the journalist remained. I wish he too left somewhere. Authors usually reserve TSTL moments for their female characters. Here, I am happy (or unhappy as the case may be) to report Smithback could give those heroines run for their money. God, he was so stupid he almost ruined the story. There wasn't a single thing he did here to make me even like, let alone love him. He acted childish and selfish and even if he had those 'qualities' before, here they are more pronounced. The second person Pendergast enlists to help him is an archaeologist Nora Kelly, Smithback's girlfriend. The authors can't show the chemistry between the characters, so we get quite a few sentences telling us how he loves her. I don't mind romantic angle to a story. I like it even, but here it was out of place. She could have been just an archaeologist who just met them and it would still be the same story. And she wasn't really likeable either. The first part of the story she is wining about her job, then she gets angry for whatever reason. Margo Green and D'Acosta, they are not. Anyway, it isn't that pronounced to mess up the story.

The too long meditation that looks like time travel or a vivid dream would work in a film, but here they threw me in something that seemed like a different story. That, and one time it was even unbelievable considering the place the characters doing it were in.

Parts of this story were too hard to read. The suffering and the waiting were dragged a bit. I still enjoyed it though and would recommend this series to anyone who likes a thriller seasoned with weirdness....more

Yes, THAT was the worst part of this book. When I was reading about his "super powers" I thought something like: "What the hell?! Is that Marvel or something?". Meditation, ability to experience historical events and play chess or bridge in the mind. Pendergast is the type of person who knows EVERYTHING better than you and probably can speak fluently in more than 90% of known languages. Add to this incredible stamina and nearly absolute resistance to aSuper Pendergast returns! Praise HIS might!

Yes, THAT was the worst part of this book. When I was reading about his "super powers" I thought something like: "What the hell?! Is that Marvel or something?". Meditation, ability to experience historical events and play chess or bridge in the mind. Pendergast is the type of person who knows EVERYTHING better than you and probably can speak fluently in more than 90% of known languages. Add to this incredible stamina and nearly absolute resistance to a pain and you have our Super Hero. I swear, in next books he'll be flying and killing hordes of Mbwuns with his laser sight. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it is SUPERPENDER!

Smithback was annoying. As always. Ah, and remember children: Nearly the whole police contains only mentally retarded, arrogant morons and we'll be lost without Super Pender.

So, why three stars? I like the plot more than the poor something which wants to be a plot in Reliquary. Less horror, more mystery in this tome. I'm not regretting reading the Cabinet of Curiosities. The only thing that really was irritating me was Super Pendergast. I know, this series isn't rational and realistic, but when authors create their main character as powerful, invincible superman, something inside me say NO....more

I loved this book and it was even better as agent Pendergst was in it from the beginning. as I've come to know now the book has a really creepy factor.. there's a murder site discovered from over 100years ago but some similar murders are happening. the book was so will written and I loved all the characters. it kept me fussing and that's one thing I lie about these books, and they are hard to bout down. one interesting is you find out a lot more about Pendergst and some of his family. if you likI loved this book and it was even better as agent Pendergst was in it from the beginning. as I've come to know now the book has a really creepy factor.. there's a murder site discovered from over 100years ago but some similar murders are happening. the book was so will written and I loved all the characters. it kept me fussing and that's one thing I lie about these books, and they are hard to bout down. one interesting is you find out a lot more about Pendergst and some of his family. if you like a mystery/crime its allso horror. so a good combination. I can definitely recomend it...more

The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child was a huge disappointment to me. Throughout this book I wondered why it was so revered in the mystery world. My husband picked up this copy almost a year ago for me and has been waiting patiently ever since for me to read it. After reading a particularly taxing book, I was looking for something lighter and exciting to read, so I picked this up. I'm still somewhat confused as to all the five star ratings on Goodreads, and if someoneThe Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child was a huge disappointment to me. Throughout this book I wondered why it was so revered in the mystery world. My husband picked up this copy almost a year ago for me and has been waiting patiently ever since for me to read it. After reading a particularly taxing book, I was looking for something lighter and exciting to read, so I picked this up. I'm still somewhat confused as to all the five star ratings on Goodreads, and if someone would like to explain it to me, I'd very much appreciate it.

So this book starts with your usual mystery type characters. A beautiful heroine, Nora, who is smart and sexy (because this is such an unusual quality) and ends up being drawn into a 100-year-old mystery because she just "can't seem to stay away" from it. (Do you hear the sarcasm?) Then you have your typical Sherlock Holmes-type-character, Pendergast, the FBI agent, who just doesn't quite pull off the arrogant and intelligent Holmes. Instead he comes off as non-talkative and moody. Then we have Smithback, the annoying - yes, really annoying - journalist who will stop at nothing to get the story (stop me if you've heard this one), and ends up getting himself in trouble. He left me wondering why Nora was dating him and wishing he could have died in some fantastically gory way. That leaves the brooding Irish cop, O'Shaughnessy, who was a walking cliche with his annoyed-at-everything attitude and bad boy past. He was actually my favorite character.

I won't go too much into the plot, it's pretty straight forward. A lot of bodies are found at a construction site to a new building. They turn out to be the work of a killer almost 100 years ago and are almost forgotten when suddenly the killings start up again. The idiot police captain is being pressured by the mayor and the building contractor (who, of course, donates a lot of money to various causes that affect key players) to get these murders solved quickly. While the police force stumbles around with loose ends, the four main characters I described earlier come together to start piecing together clues and eventually solving the mystery.

I found nothing exciting or interesting about this book. Some mysteries do well in following the standard type mystery plot, but this one fell short. There were some truly disgusting scenes coupled with some suspenseful moments that made me feel like I was reading a horror at times, but those were few and far between. When I finally found out who the killer was, I discovered that not only had I not even been trying to guess who it was (I do this in all good mysteries), but also, that I just didn't care. I wanted this 600 page book with some excitement in the last 100 pages to finally end.

In my husband's, and Preston's and Child's defense, this was not the first book of the series. My husband and I often share similar tastes in mystery and he had read several of these and wanted me to try one. He realizes now, that maybe he should have picked a different one. Although you don't have to read them in order, there might have been some more build-up or explanations of characters, such as the initial chemistry between Nora and Smithback in earlier books that might have made it more enjoyable for me. In any case, this review is getting too long for a book I really didn't enjoy. The best thing about it were two things. First, the last 100 pages held all the excitement for me. And second, the book is centered around these people from 100 years ago that used to have these things called "Cabinets of Curiosities". Back before T.V. or the internet, these places where museum-like buildings that held strange and unusual things that were very popular for people from all classes. It was the entertainment of the age. The descriptions and history behind these and some of the things they contained, as well as their strange collectors, were the most interesting part of the book. For that, I give it a little credit.

Since I have a hearty bus commute these days, I do a lot of reading. Though I love fine literature, at times, when on the bus, I just want a good pulpy detective novel and this is one of the best I have read so far. Co written by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Childs, this ghoulish, gothic tale set against the backdrop of contemporary Manhattan is one of those books that will keep you up till 3 AM if you aren't careful. These authors have written quite a number of books together and though I haveSince I have a hearty bus commute these days, I do a lot of reading. Though I love fine literature, at times, when on the bus, I just want a good pulpy detective novel and this is one of the best I have read so far. Co written by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Childs, this ghoulish, gothic tale set against the backdrop of contemporary Manhattan is one of those books that will keep you up till 3 AM if you aren't careful. These authors have written quite a number of books together and though I have not read them all I have read a few. They have created probably my favorite fictional detective outside of an Agatha Christie novel: The unflappable Agent Pendergast who even has his own Wikipedia page: not bad for a fictional detective! Very highly recommended, to say the least......more

A thrill ride from start to finish. I loved everything about this book, except the chief of police or whatever the hell he was who was in charge of the whole case involving the murders. He was really annoying and even me, a regular guy who watched a lot of crime shows and read some books on those subjects, knows that you do not arrest people on murder charges just because you got few loose clues on their actions during the murders. He was as dumb as sack of potatoes.

Other than that, the whole iA thrill ride from start to finish. I loved everything about this book, except the chief of police or whatever the hell he was who was in charge of the whole case involving the murders. He was really annoying and even me, a regular guy who watched a lot of crime shows and read some books on those subjects, knows that you do not arrest people on murder charges just because you got few loose clues on their actions during the murders. He was as dumb as sack of potatoes.

Other than that, the whole idea of owning a cabinet of curiosities was highly interesting concept for me. I gleamed each time the authors described the various objects found throughout the museum and other places the characters visited (not mentioning where so I don't spoil it). My biggest complaint was the character of Pendergast. He was likable but maybe a little too damn likable. He has an answer for every situation, has a solution for every obstacle, and knows things about every topic brought up by those around him. He's like a walking encyclopedia of knowledge. I also had a praise for Smithback who was cocky and annoying but I got to give him points for knowing how to do research and get his hands on relevant resources for his articles, even though he tends to be a bit too risky and stupid.

All in all, a highly recommended book. This could be a stand alone novel but I do recommend you read at least the first book in the Pendergast series. ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.The Cabinet of Curiosities was tough to rate. It was a good book with a well thought out story and an interesting premise, but it just didn't catch my attention like The Book of the Dead managed to.

Agent Pendergast is a great charcter. He's most easily described as a modern day Sherlock Holmes, yet there is a lot more to him than that. His charcter and manner, as well as his intelligence and formidability make him stand out in the Mystery/Thriller category. A good cast of supporting charcters hThe Cabinet of Curiosities was tough to rate. It was a good book with a well thought out story and an interesting premise, but it just didn't catch my attention like The Book of the Dead managed to.

Agent Pendergast is a great charcter. He's most easily described as a modern day Sherlock Holmes, yet there is a lot more to him than that. His charcter and manner, as well as his intelligence and formidability make him stand out in the Mystery/Thriller category. A good cast of supporting charcters help this book along, also. Dr. Nora Kelly and William Smithback are two of my favorites in the series so far and they really stand out in this book.

The book begins with the discovery of a chernel house during a reurbanization project in New York City. The bones found inside date from the 1800's and all show signs of a similar horrible surgery. Soon after the discovery a fresh rash of murders are committed. It becomes evident to Agent Pendergast that the original murders were committed in an effort to create a serum to prolong life and he begins to suspect that the orignal killer may have succeeded and still be active 150 years later. A series of plot twists during the climax will keep you interested until the end.

The morale implications in this book were lightly touched on and I wish the authors had spent a little more time expanding them. The prolongation of the human life has been the primary purpose and goal of many people since the dawn of civiization. Essentially, this is the exact purpose of medicine. The book does a good job of bringing to light the morale implications of such work. How far is too far when pursuing that which will keep death at bay? I don't envy the choice Agent Pendergast had to make. ...more

3 and 1/2 stars. Interesting, unique plot for a murder mystery. It was a bit longer than it needed to be. (You could easily edit out 100 pages and that would improve the momentum of the plot.) I thought Pendergast was an interesting, eccentric character and I will be reading more books in this series. An enjoyable read.

Oh, this book was so nearly a five star. 20 pages from the end and I thought it was clinched. But alas, the final reveal was a little disappointing, the inevitable last explanations were sketchy and motives were threadbare.

Let's put all that aside for a moment. I don't read a lot of mysteries anymore. They're really more of a throwback to my teen years. Every now and then, however, I feel the need to dip back into my "comfort" genre. And I was very comfortable here with Preston and Child. ThereOh, this book was so nearly a five star. 20 pages from the end and I thought it was clinched. But alas, the final reveal was a little disappointing, the inevitable last explanations were sketchy and motives were threadbare.

Let's put all that aside for a moment. I don't read a lot of mysteries anymore. They're really more of a throwback to my teen years. Every now and then, however, I feel the need to dip back into my "comfort" genre. And I was very comfortable here with Preston and Child. There were parts so terrifying I almost slept with the lights on. Loved it! The chapters swing back and forth between white-knuckling anxiety, to slower paced plot filler, allowing the reader to catch their breath. My theory is that the authors wanted to avoid any pesky heart attacks from all the stress!!

But the characters are what will bring me back time and again.

Pendergast! Who can not love this man! He is entirely eccentric, an oddball in every sense of the word, and his personality bleeds through the pages. Dr. Nora Kelly. I fell in love with her in the beginning, strong and independent. Then, somewhere in the middle she just takes a breather from the plot. Not sure what was going on with her, but I missed her. Even Smithback. He's annoying, and rubs me the wrong way. But even when he was being a douche, at least he was a douche with good intentions.

Most definitely recommend it, and I will soon be digging into the next book in the Pendergast series. ...more

This book started out in an interesting fashion, but a lot didn't make sense. For example, 1) I never understood what Nora found attractive in Smithback, he seemed like a fop and a simp. Maybe she wants to get a divorce in a later book in the series. 2) I never saw why Pendergast chose Nora. 3) Very dumb epiphanies - the final room to room walkthrough with the insects, then the lizards, then the clothing, then finally the armor - somehow help the***please note: serious spoilers in this review***

This book started out in an interesting fashion, but a lot didn't make sense. For example, 1) I never understood what Nora found attractive in Smithback, he seemed like a fop and a simp. Maybe she wants to get a divorce in a later book in the series. 2) I never saw why Pendergast chose Nora. 3) Very dumb epiphanies - the final room to room walkthrough with the insects, then the lizards, then the clothing, then finally the armor - somehow help the mad scientist who uses these things to help him achieve his lifelong goal of - wait for it - devising the ultimate poison. Wait a minute - what? I read this part twice just to make sure I wasn't missing something. The ultimate poison? That's worth becoming a serial killer who tortures his prey so he can extend his life by several hundred years? To accomplish this? Huh?

Even worse, there was a much better answer: Mad scientist guy should have been developing a way to generate life from a chemical soup and then speed evolution in order to shape a new series of life forms to suit his desires. Hey we've already got a guy that has lived an extra hundred years, and could have lived two hundred extra years. We've got a guy that can time travel in his head. So why not have a mad scientist who can create and shape life itself? That would have made him like a god. But no, these authors decided that the ultimate poison (which they never even bothered to explain) was the reason. And I wonder if they had intended something like the scenario I described above, but changed it to the ultimate poison because talk of evolution is taboo and perhaps people are too dumb to understand something as complicated as spontaneous generation.

I also hate dumb secret family revelations, you know the ones: "He is my father!" "He is my half-brother!" "She is my grandmother!" and in this one, it was "He is my uncle!" I knock off a star whenever a writer pulls that dumb stunt.

I got through the book so I originally gave it two stars, though I had to remove one. There were some good parts. These guys are, without a doubt, creative, but I fear they are equally lazy. It felt like they suddenly realized that they had written the requisite 350 pages and then called, "Quittin' time! It's quittin' time! Clean up the kitchen, whatcha got Linc, ultimate poison, Douggie, done, type it up and let's get outa here, cause it's quittin' time!"...more

The Cabinet of Curiosities is the third in the Pendergast series by Preston and Lincoln, but the first book I have ever read by these authors. I found this during the Borders liquidation sitting alone and was simply intrigued by the description. I was not at all disappointed.

The character of Pendergast is rather unique. Even though I missed the first two installments, where I am sure there is a better fleshing out of the character, I felt that I did get to know, and really like him in this work.The Cabinet of Curiosities is the third in the Pendergast series by Preston and Lincoln, but the first book I have ever read by these authors. I found this during the Borders liquidation sitting alone and was simply intrigued by the description. I was not at all disappointed.

The character of Pendergast is rather unique. Even though I missed the first two installments, where I am sure there is a better fleshing out of the character, I felt that I did get to know, and really like him in this work. He is not someone that on the surface would seem to be a typical FBI agent, but his Holmesian approach to investigation is refreshing for this genre. Unfortunately, I felt that I was missing something in the characters of Nora and Smithback, however. They appeared in a previous novel from what I gathered from this story, so I will have to go back and find them again to understand their story in this one.

For the mystery itself, while graphic at times, it was very intriguing, with a little bit of a Frankenstein science mixed in. There were times when I really had to check myself, and not truly believe, but remember that there can be a little bit of fantasy in this fiction. The investigation was the meat of the story. Being a librarian, having the combination of archival research playing a key role as well as "old fashioned" hitting the street police work was a nice refreshing twist. I am truly looking forward to going back and reading the first two installments of this series, and then seeing it continue long into the future....more

As usual this is just my opinion, so that 2 star rating needs to be qualified -

This is NOT a bad book. Very few books are bad. However, while I thought the story had great promise I personally didn't care for its execution. I was also unable to connect with the characters - in fact, by the end of the story I pretty much despised all of them.

I enjoyed the writing style, however there were moments of "Randish" tediousness that could have made it a tighter story, thereby engaging me more. Put it thAs usual this is just my opinion, so that 2 star rating needs to be qualified -

This is NOT a bad book. Very few books are bad. However, while I thought the story had great promise I personally didn't care for its execution. I was also unable to connect with the characters - in fact, by the end of the story I pretty much despised all of them.

I enjoyed the writing style, however there were moments of "Randish" tediousness that could have made it a tighter story, thereby engaging me more. Put it this way: It rarely takes me this long to finish reading a novel, even when I am away from it for a week.

Note that this is just ME. I know that this series of books is incredibly popular, but the characterizations simply don't appeal to me. Therefore, take this review with a grain of salt - it is completely subjective, as are all reviews by everyone.

For those who liked the Relic you will enjoy this the third book in the series.The story is well detailed and has plenty of twist and turns.FBI agent Pendergast has to call on all his smarts and skills to capture a very unique serial killer who is patterning his kills after serial slayings that were committed over a century ago and no this is not about Jack The Ripper.All in all a very good read.

(4.5) Everything that can be said has been said about this book. Since I'm a two finger typist, I'll be keeping my two cents worth of comments brief. I really enjoyed this book but no surprises there; I'm a big fan of the Preston @ Child collaborations and this was not a disappointment. I found the book to have that eerie, spooky, adventuresome feeling that I've grown accustomed to and expected from this pairing of great writers; each an accomplished author on their own behalf. But, when they te(4.5) Everything that can be said has been said about this book. Since I'm a two finger typist, I'll be keeping my two cents worth of comments brief. I really enjoyed this book but no surprises there; I'm a big fan of the Preston @ Child collaborations and this was not a disappointment. I found the book to have that eerie, spooky, adventuresome feeling that I've grown accustomed to and expected from this pairing of great writers; each an accomplished author on their own behalf. But, when they team up and present Agent Pendergast, well; there are just not that many fictional characters out there that are more thought provoking or captivating as him (or is it he)/(who cares). Would recommend this to anyone (who?/whom?);[I'm not an English major]; enjoys a good book....more

MY PROBLEMS:Too much stretching things out at the end. The bad guy catches victims, you know they are going to die, but the authors interrupt the scenes too much. Example: Someone wakes up and finds themselves in chains. Scene switches to other. Bad guy talks to the prisoner. Scene switches to other. Bad guy injects something into prisoner. Scene switches to other. It was too manipulative for me.

I was bothered2 ½ stars. Careless logic. Things are not well thought out. Audiobook narrator not good.

MY PROBLEMS:Too much stretching things out at the end. The bad guy catches victims, you know they are going to die, but the authors interrupt the scenes too much. Example: Someone wakes up and finds themselves in chains. Scene switches to other. Bad guy talks to the prisoner. Scene switches to other. Bad guy injects something into prisoner. Scene switches to other. It was too manipulative for me.

I was bothered that not enough details are shown when the bad guy catches victims. Authors don’t show how he avoids being seen and how he drags heavy victims from public places to his dungeon. In one case a trap is set, but we don’t see how it worked. Victim sees bait. Next scene has victim in chains in a cell.

I don’t mind suspending disbelief if it makes the story fun. But here it was used instead of logic. That’s not a good reason. For example: a dead woman is found and taken to the medical examiner. There’s been nothing in the papers. So how does Pendergast know that she exists and that she is the Surgeon’s latest victim? He shows up at the medical examiner’s lab and tells the examiner to look at her back. Some kind of Super Knowledge? Later Pendergast operates on himself without a pain killer (more Super Something?)

The cell phone problem: It is current day New York City. Cities have good cell phone coverage. There are several scenes where someone needed help, but they didn’t have a cell phone. It made me think the authors couldn’t think of a better way to create suspense so they got rid of the phones.

The authors had an argument for the ending, but I did not like it. (See Spoiler)

(view spoiler)[I was angry when someone destroyed something. This was similar to if you had an inexpensive-easy-to-make cure for cancer would you destroy it?The bad guy was killed due to bad luck. I’d rather see Pendergast plan the thing that killed the bad guy instead of passively being saved.(hide spoiler)]

I LIKED ONE LINE.Pendergast was talking about opera: “I loathe it. Opera was the television of the 19th century – loud, vulgar, and garish, with plots that could only be called infantile.”

AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:I was unhappy with Jonathan Marosz. You know how young adults end sentences on an up note like a question? Jonathan Marosz is the opposite. He ends sentences on a down note, which normally appeals to me. But the way he does it sounds like he’s reading a SHOPPING LIST. It is not good. He is not “acting” the story. He’s reading a list of sentences.

A second problem was editing. At least three times a section (a few sentences long) was read twice in a row – repeated.

This book was soo good and creepy. I truly did not know if the main characters would survive or not. A very twisted plot. I did not see the killer being who it was revealed to be. The house of horrors was amazing! Loved this book. It was as good as Relic. Way better than book 2 which lacked a good plot & execution. I adore Pendergast soo much.

Pendergast - has to be one of the most unique/aritculate/mysterious characters created for our reading pleasure. In his third adventure/case, the creep factor is in full gear. And, with Nora Kelly and Bill Smithback, a pair that met Pendergast before...and still don't know what this pale FBI guy is all about. Great stuff.

My third (and third in the Pendergrast series) book by the daring duo of Preston and Child. This was definitely the best so far!

One reason was getting a to bettrr know and understand the mysterious and rather misanthropic FBI agent Pendergrast. Add to that a stunning plot of buried remains found at a construction site and a mad scientist trying to extend life for very ominous reasons, and you have all the excitement you can possibly handle.

Expert plotting along with good character development reMy third (and third in the Pendergrast series) book by the daring duo of Preston and Child. This was definitely the best so far!

One reason was getting a to bettrr know and understand the mysterious and rather misanthropic FBI agent Pendergrast. Add to that a stunning plot of buried remains found at a construction site and a mad scientist trying to extend life for very ominous reasons, and you have all the excitement you can possibly handle.

Expert plotting along with good character development really makes you marvel that two authors can collaberate so smoothly. I had the pleasure of hearing them both interviewed on NPR and they are charming men who take great joy in teasing each other and good-naturedly mildly insulting one another.

They definitely left me with the impression that they have as much fun writing this series as we do reading it!...more

The cabinet of Curiosities is third book in the series and my second book by Authors Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child. It is an amazing book, either standalone or as part of a series. You won't be missing anything, if you haven't read previous two books.

Why you should read this book?

1) Ancient Secret: If you love the mystery sub-genre where people are hunting ancient treasures or trying to lift ancient curse, you may like this book.2) Awesome characters: This book has very good (sometimes funny)The cabinet of Curiosities is third book in the series and my second book by Authors Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child. It is an amazing book, either standalone or as part of a series. You won't be missing anything, if you haven't read previous two books.

Why you should read this book?

1) Ancient Secret: If you love the mystery sub-genre where people are hunting ancient treasures or trying to lift ancient curse, you may like this book.2) Awesome characters: This book has very good (sometimes funny) characters. They are not made three dimensional for the sake of it, but they are genuinely interesting.3) Plot twist: Some very good plot twist. Will ensure some rapid turning of pages.

Why you shouldn't read this book?

No reason at all. Although I have slight problem with the ending, it's still a good book....more

This is a book that draws you in and then keeps you on your toes and looking over your shoulder for the rest of the book. It wasn't until nearly the end that I figured out who the "surgeon" was. A well kept secret in a well written book.

So here is my problem in general with anything horror-related - there is a fine line between scary and cheezy and very few people working with horror-related art (films, books) manage to stay on the scary side of the tale. Preston and Child managed that trick twice in their previous two books (somewhat to my surprise) and delivered two rather intense and entertaining horror-ish books. Third time is a charm though and in 'Cabinet of Curiosities' the authors fall flat on their face, for two reasonSo here is my problem in general with anything horror-related - there is a fine line between scary and cheezy and very few people working with horror-related art (films, books) manage to stay on the scary side of the tale. Preston and Child managed that trick twice in their previous two books (somewhat to my surprise) and delivered two rather intense and entertaining horror-ish books. Third time is a charm though and in 'Cabinet of Curiosities' the authors fall flat on their face, for two reasons. First and foremost, the story - oh my, it's so far out there... What's worse, it's predictable. The second problem with this book has with passing of time become a mortal sin 'in my book' and spelled death to my interest in several book cycles - the main character, in this case agent Pendergast, is idolized by the authors to such an extent that it just becomes rudiculous. OK, Pendergast has always been a bit over the top, but in this volume he's super-smart, super-strong, super-attractive, super-strange and super-mysterious. And to top it all of, while not bullet-proof, he's certainly extremly bullet-tolerant. A bit too much for me to swallow without gagging, I'm afraid....more

Cabinet of Curiosities features many of the hallmarks of a Preston and Child novel. First, the lead is FBI Agent Pendergast. Special Agent Pendergast has three things that no FBI Special Agent in the history of the FBI has ever had: 1.) a fortune, 2.) the ability to pick and choose both his assignments and the jurisdiction he works in, and 3.) about 200 vacation days a year to learn things like ikebana and to read random scholarly publications in disparate fields such that he is an expert on theCabinet of Curiosities features many of the hallmarks of a Preston and Child novel. First, the lead is FBI Agent Pendergast. Special Agent Pendergast has three things that no FBI Special Agent in the history of the FBI has ever had: 1.) a fortune, 2.) the ability to pick and choose both his assignments and the jurisdiction he works in, and 3.) about 200 vacation days a year to learn things like ikebana and to read random scholarly publications in disparate fields such that he is an expert on the known Universe.

Regardless of the incredulity his character may inspire, Pendergast is a fascinating character. He has a New Orleans accent and an almost albino complexion, which intrigues--and puts him outside the New York / Chicago/ LA nexus in which cop fiction frequently gets stuck. (Don’t worry; the NYPD quota is still met.) Furthermore, his encyclopedic knowledge of everything allows him to constantly get the better of any and all unlikable characters in the book—and, in these books, you are either likable or loathable. It also features other Preston & Child familiars, including Nora Kelly and William Smithback Jr.

Second, it features the supernatural, preternatural, or at least the appearance of the aforementioned. This is all part of a dark and mysterious tone they have down to an art. This goes back to their first book Relic.

Third, one of the likable characters gets killed off.

The title, Cabinet of Curiosities, refers to collections of natural anomalies that were all the rage in the 19th century, and which served as mini museums of natural history. These cabinets (sometimes also called “wonder rooms”) might feature genuine exhibits, fakes, or some combinations thereof.

The novel begins with Agent Pendergast seeking Nora Kelly’s expertise to assist him in investigating a 19th century mass murder. The remains of the deceased were found in a building that’s being torn down to put up a high-rise, but it used to be the basement of a cabinet of curiosities.

We don’t get any clue as to why an active duty FBI agent would take an interest in 19th century murders until late in the book. [Of course, we never find out why Pendergast is allowed to investigate it.] I’ll leave it to readers to determine whether the ultimate explanation makes any sense or not. Needless to say, the murder and mayhem come to the present day over the course of the novel.

While I might sound down on both this book and the series, I’ve read seven of the books jointly authored by Preston and Child (and one or two from each as solo authors.) It’s, therefore, unreasonable to say that I dislike their work. However, I will say that I didn’t like this one as much as some others (e.g. Relic and Still Life with Crows.) I’m not entirely certain whether this one was just not as good, or whether I’ve become a bit jaded from over exposure to their formula. (Maybe doing so many book reviews of late has made me over analytical, and commercial fiction—like popular movies—are easy pickin’s for criticism.)

That said, I have three major criticisms of this book:

First, there’s a critical happening that requires someone so brilliant (yet unknown and working solo) that they could invented a technology in the 19th century that modern scientists couldn’t even fathom duplicating. This is sort of a common theme in some steampunk works (e.g. the Will Smith Wild, Wild West movie). However, steampunk creates its own world, distinct from the world as we know it. I can buy some kinds of “lost knowledge” lines, such as the idea that some plant-based medicinal compounds have been lost due to deforestation and loss of the experience of native peoples (this was the premise in Preston’s solo work, The Codex). However, in Cabinet of Curiosities there is a scientific discovery critical to this novel which is of a complex nature. It’s impossible to believe that it could be done by someone without modern equipment or access to the vast scientific literature of the intervening century.

Second, while I don’t want to sound like someone who poo-poos cross-genre novels, there’s a problem with this book not knowing whether it’s a mystery/thriller or supernatural/horror. In general, I love cross-genre work. However, a thriller needs some sort of realism to pull us in and mysteries call for some sort of rules or the game. If anything can happen (or if we don’t know the rules of what can happen) it’s a bit unsatisfying to try to noodle out whodunit.

Third, the reveal of the villain seems a bit forced. It’s not quite Scooby-Doo because they create several dislikable characters to choose from—and not just one grumpy old man that you know is going to be the guy. However, it seems a little like they rolled dice to determine which detestable character would be the villain. In retrospect one can find foreshadowing, but no more for the actual villain then for the others one might suspect.

If you’re willing to suspend a truckload of credulity this is a good read for beaches, airports, and trains. The authors know how to pique your interest and build tension. It’s not their smartest book, but it’s a fast and fun read. ...more

Uhm...this book owns my face. No, seriously. This book is amazing. It's extremely smart and well written, with impeccable details-- both medical and just every day things. I'm not particularly fond of female protagonists in crime/mystery books as they tend to play the damsel in distress card often. Nora Kelly, on the other hand is just as badass as the boys. She's smart, has a backbone and knows her shit. Pendergast is amaze-balls per usual. There is a story within a story here, the present dayUhm...this book owns my face. No, seriously. This book is amazing. It's extremely smart and well written, with impeccable details-- both medical and just every day things. I'm not particularly fond of female protagonists in crime/mystery books as they tend to play the damsel in distress card often. Nora Kelly, on the other hand is just as badass as the boys. She's smart, has a backbone and knows her shit. Pendergast is amaze-balls per usual. There is a story within a story here, the present day murders that start to surface after the discovery of many bodies in a construction site. After that, the reader is treated to a story in present day, and the past all while our protagonists are searching for a person named Leng.

Just when you think you've figured everything out-- you're hit with a baseball bat to the face, and you realize that you really don't know a damn thing, except to keep reading so you can figure out what happens next. There's intrigue, and fantastical ideas, and it's just... seriously. Read the thing. There is a book that features Nora Kelly, and Bill Smithback, called Thunderhead, but you don't have to read that first to read this one. I have Thunderhead, though I haven't read it, and there's just small details and a bit of history that's really simple to fill in. And at one point it's given to you through subtle details. Which I appreciate because I hate it when authors slam it repeatedly into your head "HISTORY HISTORY THEY HAVE HISTORY." I think that's what I like so much about the combined efforts of Preston and Child--- everything is so subtle. It's not spelled out, you have to think about the details, and the progress and simple things aren't ever what they seem.

As for the Pendergast series, Relic and Reliquary come before this one. Personally, I think you can get away without reading them first, but read them anyways. It's been a while since I read the previous two, but I fell back into the story pretty easily. And again, Preston and Child give you just enough that you're filled in without having it given to you. If that makes sense.

Overall: Read it. It's an amazing thriller/mystery combination. There are some passages of gore/medical scenes, but they're pretty medical in vernacular so it's not too gory. ...more

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child released their 3rd book featuring Special Agent Pendergast in 2002, and since I'm new to the authors, I've just gotten around to reading it. When a brutal 36 person ancient murder scene is unearthed at a construction site, SA Pendergast and archeologist Nora Kelly dive into the investigation of an old doctor who performed brutal surgeries on living people. But just as they get deep into their findings, a fresh run of murders occur that have strange similaritiesDouglas Preston and Lincoln Child released their 3rd book featuring Special Agent Pendergast in 2002, and since I'm new to the authors, I've just gotten around to reading it. When a brutal 36 person ancient murder scene is unearthed at a construction site, SA Pendergast and archeologist Nora Kelly dive into the investigation of an old doctor who performed brutal surgeries on living people. But just as they get deep into their findings, a fresh run of murders occur that have strange similarities to the ancient surgeon. This book was a step up from it's predecessor, Reliquary, but still had it's highs and lows.

The Cabinet of Curiosities (CoC) pick up not long after Reliquary but more easily fits right after Preston and Child's book Thunderhead. I had not read thunderhead prior to reading this book, and the more I read CoC, the more I wish I had. Protagonists Nora Kelly and Bill Smithback's relationship seems chiefly pulled from experiences outlined in Thunderhead, and oftentimes CoC made me feel "out-of-the-loop" due to me not having read Thunderhead. Interestingly enough, this could have been called Book 4 of the Smithback series instead of Book 3 of the Pendergast series...we'll see if Bill remains in the subsequent books.

Once of my complaints about Reliquary is that in diving into the "mole-men" world, the authors chose to do some radical things that really turned me away from that book. Also the surprise ending, although completely from left field and unexpected, sort of made me sad. CoC does a much better job of keeping that from happening. My biggest issue I had with CoC is that the action didn't remain high as it did in Relic. There were times that I could put the book down and not return to it for days and feel ok about it.

All in all, though, the story is gripping and interesting. It had me excited, hopeful, and sad all at the same time. The insights to how these Cabinets of Curiosities were developed and curated is very interesting. Preston and Child do a great job of shadowing stressful scenes and only giving out the necessary information. Once again, they kept me guessing with how the outcome would occur and once again hit you with things you don't expect.

Preston and Child do a great job of making the unexpected happen, and keep this within the controls of the story. To often authors try a surprise scene that feels like it violates the story, and CoC is not guilty of this. I would recommend this book to any thrill seekers, but be aware the action comes and goes....more

The third in the FBI Special Agent Pendergast series takes place like the previous 2 books in NYC, but the only returning figure this time is William Smithback, who know has moved into the journalistic heaven of working for the New York Times. The book opens at a construction site where a previously undetected underground chamber has been opened by a backhoe. Inside is a gruesome discovery 36 bodies that appear to have been dissected and then stored in nooks in a basement under a "Cabinet of CurThe third in the FBI Special Agent Pendergast series takes place like the previous 2 books in NYC, but the only returning figure this time is William Smithback, who know has moved into the journalistic heaven of working for the New York Times. The book opens at a construction site where a previously undetected underground chamber has been opened by a backhoe. Inside is a gruesome discovery 36 bodies that appear to have been dissected and then stored in nooks in a basement under a "Cabinet of Curiosity" In the late 1800's these were stores or early "museums" where unusual, or curious items were displayed, often the more outrageous the better. Pendergast elicits the help of anthropologist Nora Kelly who happens to be William Smithback's girlfriend to help him understand the bodies, but before she could do much they are kicked out of the construction site. The book is well planned and thought out, the authors lead you from one suspenseful moment to the next as what appears to be a copycat murderer takes off where the previous murderer left off. Or is it a copycat? As Pendergast, Smithback, Nora Kelly, and Sgt Patrick O'Shaughnessy of the NYPD look further into this, the murderer takes a closer look at them and soon the book becomes ever darker as they become targets. As always Pendergast as a character is a bit over the top - he's an albino, but not quite, he's incredibly wealthy, but there's a dark secret in the family. He's got special talents (that other reviewers seem to find over the top) sure, but that's part of what makes him a modern day Sherlock Holmes. He's a bit beyond what every day, reasoning people are and it's what makes him a great protagonist....more

Before picking this up, I had only read two of Douglas Preston's solo efforts and neither was particularly enjoyable, so I had some reservations. Sure enough, I was not prepared for Pendergast. I thought he would be a run-of-the-mill law enforcement agent, much like in the film version of The Relic. It took a while to adjust to how peculiar and offbeat he is, but by the end of the book, I found I liked the character and am eager to read more.

The other two main characters, Nora Kelly and Bill SmiBefore picking this up, I had only read two of Douglas Preston's solo efforts and neither was particularly enjoyable, so I had some reservations. Sure enough, I was not prepared for Pendergast. I thought he would be a run-of-the-mill law enforcement agent, much like in the film version of The Relic. It took a while to adjust to how peculiar and offbeat he is, but by the end of the book, I found I liked the character and am eager to read more.

The other two main characters, Nora Kelly and Bill Smithback, are also likeable and the authors are able to make you care about them as they face certain dangerous predicaments. The plot was fascinating, and came with a couple of twists, one of which was telegraphed and I still didn't pick up on it. This is a long book, at 630 pages, but it's also a quick read. There's a few slow spots, but then the action picks up and pulls you back in, turning each page NEEDING to find out what is going to happen. The ending is a crackerjack one.

I liked that beyond the straightforward thriller/horror story, the plot raised an ethical question, as well as a brief commentary on mankind's ability to self-destruct.

Two things I didn't like; the authors' frequent starting of sentences with "And" and that the identity of the bad guy was predictable, yet it was completely valid, and tied up with some nice foreshadowing earlier in the book....more

Douglas Preston was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1956, and grew up in the deadly boring suburb of Wellesley. Following a distinguished career at a private nursery school--he was almost immediately expelled--he attended public schools and the Cambridge School of Weston. Notable events in his early life included the loss of a fingertip at the age of three to a bicycle; the loss of his two frDouglas Preston was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1956, and grew up in the deadly boring suburb of Wellesley. Following a distinguished career at a private nursery school--he was almost immediately expelled--he attended public schools and the Cambridge School of Weston. Notable events in his early life included the loss of a fingertip at the age of three to a bicycle; the loss of his two front teeth to his brother Richard's fist; and various broken bones, also incurred in dust-ups with Richard. (Richard went on to write The Hot Zone and The Cobra Event, which tells you all you need to know about what it was like to grow up with him as a brother.)

As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.

After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.

In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.

Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.

Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.